Dude, Where's My Desktop? (With a laptop like this, who needs one?)

It's all about the laptop, man. Powerful processors, sharp screens and tons of storage. Isn't it time you reconsidered your PC allegiance?Online Extra: You don't have to spend an arm and a leg for a high-powered notebook. Here are full reviews of these six powerhouses. When you're done, read about the new test we performed on the notebooksa battery-life test for DVD video playbackin Inside PC Labs.

Of all the notebook classesfrom the 4-pound subnotebooks designed for ultimate portability to the 8-pound desktop replacement modelsby far the most popular are the 5- to 6-pound machines we tested for this story. In fact, this class accounted for up to 60 percent of sales last year, according to IDC. These models typically deliver welcome features such as 14-inch screens, full-size keyboards, and modular bays that accept a range of drives or an extra battery.

The typical processor in the models we tested is a 1-GHz Pentium III, which is overkill for most business jobs and more than adequate for creating content such as Microsoft PowerPoint slides or simple Web pages. Hard drives also have grown quite a bit, with 30GB of built-in storage now commonplace. In addition, the modular bays can accept an additional hard drive, an extra battery, or a range of removable-media drives (DVD-ROM and CD-RW, among others), so you can supply employees with the appropriate storage equipment.

In our testing, the biggest difference among the machines was battery life. If you choose carefully, you can find a machine that will last more than 3 hours on a single charge for typical productivity chores (the Compaq, Dell, Gateway, IBM, and WinBook models all accomplished this feat). Add a second battery in the modular bay and you're looking at up to 5 to 7 hours of runtime. For those who bemoan the state of in-flight entertainment, the Compaq, Dell, and IBM models lasted about 2.5 hours on our DVD Battery Test (which saps more juice from the battery than office chores do, because the drive and CPU are working constantly).

Let's review: All the power of a desktop with the added benefit of portability? You'll miss that beige box a lot less than you think.

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